The Story of Us
by dreamstreets
Summary: Love, it's a crazy thing; sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's hard... whichever road it takes, one thing is for sure; love is worth it. ** These "chapters" are actually one-shots, some requests, some that I just felt like writing. Please check my profile to see if the request line is open. xo Thank you!
1. Young, Wild, Restless

**a/n:** Here's a little something I cooked up for the bestest person I know, Danie! Her username on here is CelticPrincessx3, so check her out! She helps me so much with my own stories, so if you love me, then I know you'll love her!

The song that I used for this story is called "We Weren't Crazy" by Josh Gracin, go on and look it up! I'll have the link posted on my Twitter, just to make it easier.

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY DANIE! I HOPE THAT YOU LOVE THIS, AS MUCH AS I LOVE YOU!

* * *

 _Young, Wild, Restless_

* * *

 **We headed out to California  
** **Everybody tried to warn us  
** **Said we wouldn't make it any further  
** **Than that worn out Chevy would**

We were 18.

She had graduated at the top of our class, he – well he was about average. She had won Prom Queen, while he stood in the crowd and watched her dance with the King. While she paraded around with the popular group, he hung with 'degenerates' of the school. They were complete opposites, yet they were completely crazy for one another.

Her parents weren't big fans of his, they felt that she needed to be with someone in their social class. Jack – her father, was the CEO of an oil company, while her mother Lucy, was the trophy wife who kept things running smoothly. His parents, well – his dad, Zack, was a mechanic who worked tirelessly to make ends meet for the household; he welcomed Emma in with open arms, she had become like a daughter to him almost instantaneously. Patricia, his mom, had ran out on them when he had turned 10. They tried to talk her out of being with him, even taking away her car… among other things. But that didn't stop them from being together.

So here they were two weeks after graduation, throwing their suitcases in the bed of his old _Silverado_. She had gotten accepted to UCLA, and he had taken a job at a mechanic shop nearby. Jack, who was slightly more approving than his wife; gave them quite a lot of money to get them started. He often said that if he'd listened to his wife's parents, they'd of never made it this far. Lucy, on the other hand, gave them warning that she'd never speak to her eldest child if she left with him.

She didn't care, so therefore, neither did he.

 **We broke down a time or two  
Thought "maybe we didn't think it through"  
We were all we had to turn to  
When it wasn't lookin' good**

Did we have it easy all the time? No.

There were times that they didn't see eye-to-eye. Times that they questioned whether or not they should still be together. Hell, he even packed his bags a couple times. But that feeling always passed before he even made it to the city limits. So he'd turn around, pull into their driveway, and run back into her waiting arms.

They knew that all they had was each other, they had to make it work.

 **We're lookin' back laughin'  
'cause they called us crazy**

 **We were young, we were wild, we were restless  
Had to go, had to fly – had to get away  
Took a chance on that feelin' – baby  
We were lovin' blind – borderline reckless  
We were livin' for the minute we were spinnin' in  
Maybe we were a lot of things  
But we weren't crazy**

At the end of the day they knew that they were meant to be together. They were going to have to fight for their relationship sometimes, but they knew that what they were fighting for was real.

And that's all that mattered.

 **Just a couple kids a couple years ago  
Now we got a couple kids of our own  
We turned out right – and proved them wrong  
Look at us going strong**

Time flew by pretty quickly whenever he actually sat down to think about it. Emma had graduated with a Bachelors in Business Management, and took care of all the behind-the-scenes stuff at his garage. While she went to school during the day, he took night classes and eventually earned his certification as a welder/mechanic. During that time, they welcomed two children into their home. Dean Jr., came into the world during Emma's sophomore year at UCLA. Samantha, she followed two years later, two weeks after she walked the stage.

Of course, the two drove them wild, but they wouldn't have it any other way. Their free time contained driving them to and from lessons. As well as picnics in the park, and trips to the zoo. As amazing as it was to be a father to two awesome kids, it was even more amazing to see the love of his life transform into a beautiful mother.

Her parents had come around after Samantha was born. Nothing melts the heart, quite like a grandchild will. He had never really needed their approval, but he'd be lying if he said that he wasn't happy to have finally gotten it. They visited often, Lucy told him that she was sorry for doubting him and his ability to take care of her daughter.

He couldn't deny that it was a great feeling to prove his biggest doubter wrong.

 **Could of set it down  
When things got tough  
Could of walked away from this love  
But that'd been crazy**

They got married when their youngest turned six. He had been planning it for quite some time, there just never seemed to be the right opportunity to do so. When they visited their hometown for their class reunion, he knew that there couldn't be more perfect timing.

The two had broken away from the dance that was going on, to walk around their alma mater. She wore a skin tight navy blue dress, while he opted for blue jeans and a button down shirt. His trademark leather jacket draped her bare shoulders. Hand-in-hand, they walked to all the places they used to hand out at.

Before they knew it, they were on the pavilion. Walking to the center, they sat on the edge of the fountain. For a while they just talked, they spoke of how far they had come since they had sat there for lunch all those years ago. Pretty much everyone in the school gave them a hard time about being together, hell, even he knew that he wasn't good enough for her. But she saw something good in him, for that, he was forever grateful.

That's what he told her when he got down on one knee and proposed. He told her that he didn't know where he'd be if she hadn't of taken a chance on him. She kept him out of trouble, she showed him that he was worth so much more that what everyone else had led him to believe.

She saved him, he could never repay her enough for that.

 **We were young, we were wild, we were restless  
Had to go, had to fly – had to get away  
Took a chance on that feelin' – baby  
We were lovin' blind – borderline reckless  
We were livin' for the minute we were spinnin' in  
Yeah, maybe we were a lot of things  
But we weren't crazy**

* * *

 **a/n:** Well, there's that! I had never written with Dean and Emma before, but I kind of liked it! So who knows? There may be more from me with these two!

Like I said in the summary, this "story" is going to remain open until I decide to close it! So if y'all have any ONE-SHOT requests to put in, do so through PM, please! I'll have the requests line open for some time, until I need to close it to catch up. So please keep an eye out on my profile to stay updated!

DANIE! I really hope that you enjoyed reading this, I loved writing it for you! Once again, happy belated birthday! I don't know what I'd do without you!


	2. Still the One

**a/n:** This one-shot is for, 'DeanAmborseBatistaWifey23', the pairing that was requested is Seth Rollins and Charlotte Flair! The story will be taking place after this years Extreme Rules PPV.

 **[disclaimer: I do not own Seth Rollins or Charlotte Flair. I only own what my brain came up with below. =)]**

* * *

 _Still the One_

* * *

Tonight had been a great night. Not that he expected anything less, of course. He had made his triumphant return, setting his sights on _his_ WWE Championship. Before that, his girlfriend had retained her own championship. Their emotions were definitely high, for all the right reasons.

They had plans to meet at _Crème de la Crème_ , a popular restaurant in Newark. An obvious choice for two athletes at the top of their game. Charlotte had chosen to be dropped off by a girl friend of hers; since he went on after her, and she didn't want to be left alone. That suited him just fine, because it meant that he didn't have to worry about rushing himself.

Pulling his matte black _Benz_ into the valet area, he tossed the keys to the uniformed man standing there, and continued up a dark purple carpet. Once inside, he asked the hostess for his date. The woman led him to the back, where he found his favorite blonde, clad in a form fitting blue dress. Once she saw him, she met him halfway and kissed him passionately.

"I didn't keep you waiting long, did I?"

"Mmm," she said in between kisses, "not at all… but I would have waited all night for you."

"Ah… but I'd never make you. Come on, let's sit." Putting his hand on the small of her back, he led her to the corner table she had come from, "you're match was amazing tonight."

"Thanks baby, Nattie was tough though."

"Yeah, that usually happens when two greats step in the ring," he stated, noticing how she blushed a bit, "I saw you used that move I showed you. How'd it feel?"

"A bit weird to be honest," she took a sip of her wine, "it's the first time that I've actually used it in a match. It was effective though."

He nodded, draping an arm loosely over her shoulders. She really did look beautiful tonight. Charlotte Flair wasn't like most people thought she was; the snotty attitude she had a work, it where it stayed. When the cameras weren't around, she was the absolute sweetest, most down-to-earth person he'd ever met. Her beauty is what drew him in, everything else is what kept him hooked.

"Seth? Hello?"

Coming out of his trance, he locked eyes with her, "I'm sorry, what?"

"I asked how it felt to be back."

"Oh, right…" he shrugged, "It feels great, I missed it, you know? The audience, the ring, _you_ … I'm happy to be back where I belong."

She smiled, "Well, I'm glad that you're back too. I missed my man." She added with a wink.

"And I missed my woman." He leaned over, placing a small kiss on her lips.

For a while they sat in silence, their waitress had brought them their food. He – for one – was starving, so he wasted no time getting the food in his mouth. She had begun to do the same to her food, when she decided to head to the restroom for a minute. When she came back, he gave her a small smile, while refilling her glass.

"You know that I love you, right?"

"Um, yeah, of course I do!" her smile quickly faded, "Why? Is something wrong?"

"No, no. Everything's perfect, every day for the past year has been absolutely perfect."

"Okay…" she stated a bit nervously, "so what's going on then?"

"Nothing… it's just." Before he knew it, he had grabbed her hand and began leading her out of the restaurant.

"Seth…" worry was written across her face.

He kept quiet as he took her to the back of the restaurant, where there was a small water fountain. Plants circled around them, lights strung in between the branches. He stood her in front of the fountain, her blue eyes watched him intently.

"Seth, what in the hell is going on?!"

Grabbing her face, he pulled her in for a kiss, "Just… shh." He whispered into her hair. They stood like that for a while, then he put his forehead against hers, before getting down on one knee.

"Seth…"

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small velvet box. Flipping the top open, he stared at the 1.25 carat vintage diamond engagement ring he had bought a month ago. It was set in a black gold band. The ring was unique and absolutely breathtaking, just like the woman he'd hope would accept it.

"Charlotte Flair…" he began, "Since our very first day, even though it was a dare, I knew that you were the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. You're the reason I fought so hard to come back before I was supposed to. I couldn't stand not seeing you every day, just getting to be in this moment with you, is enough to give me a lifetime of happiness. I want you, every day, now and forever… will you please do me the honor of becoming Mrs. Seth Rollins?"

Tears were flowing down her face by the time he finished, her entire body was shaking. His life was hanging on whatever these emotions meant.

"Charlotte?" he sighed, "Charlotte, baby, you're killing me down here."

"I'm sorry, it's just…" she fanned her face in an attempt to stop the tears, "Yes… yes, of course! I'd love to be Mrs. Seth Rollins!"

He smiled then, all the anxiety rushed out of him as he slipped the ring onto her finger. Once he got up on his feet, he wrapped his arms around her and swung her in circles. When he set down, he placed a passionate kiss on her lips.

"You just made me the happiest man on this planet."

She laughed before kissing him once more, "And you just made me the luckiest woman alive. I love you so, so much."

"I love you too, baby."

With that, the pulled her body as close as possible to his own. Tangling his fingers in her hair, he looked deeply into her blue eyes. She was perfection.

And now he got to call her his for the rest of their lives.

* * *

 **a/n:** I had never written Seth/Charlotte before, but it sure was fun! Who knows, there may be more of them from me soon! Hope y'all enjoyed it! Also, the visual for the ring Seth bought will be on my Twitter account, link is on my profile!

Thank you!


	3. Us

**a/n:** This one is for 'ladyangel1981'! She requested a Ted/OC story… and I hope that she enjoys it!

 **[disclaimer:** I – unfortunately – do not own Ted DiBiase Jr. {insert crying face here}. Also the OC, Katelyn Smith, belongs to the person who requested the story. The song she asked that I use is "Baby, I Believe in You", those rights belong to New Kids on the Block. **]**

* * *

 _Us_

* * *

 **Baby, I believe in you, and every little thing you do  
Every time we kiss, it always feels like this, I believe in you  
Baby, I believe in us, and every little inch of our trust  
Whether I'm around, you never let me down, I believe in you**

 **Maybe I might sound crazy for the way I feel about you  
But, baby, you're just so amazing  
And I'm so in love, girl, with you  
I believe in you**

 **Oh, girl, there's something about you**

Why did he always do this to himself? The ball was on his side, and he foolishly let it bounce back into _his_ favor. Now, he was minutes away from what would surely be the most ruthless match he's ever been a part of, a 'No Holds Barred' match. Randy Orton had a cruel mind, and with the way he'd betrayed him; he knew that it wasn't going to end very pretty for him. The doubt was definitely beginning to creep in.

Hearing his phone begin to ring, he dug it out of his duffel bag.

"Hey baby." He smiled when he saw his girlfriend's face on his screen.

"Hey! Oh good, I caught you before you left… how are you feeling?"

"Oh… great! I'm feeling pretty confident."

"You're lying."

"Excuse me?"

"Theodore Marvin DiBiase Jr., we've been together for 3 years. Did you honestly think that I couldn't see the doubt clouding your eyes?"

He shrugged, "Well, I was hoping."

"Well, it's a damn good thing that I called, then. She locked her brown eyes with his blue ones, "You have worked your ass off to get to this point. I know that the match is scary… but Randy _wants_ that. He wants you walking into that ring unsure of yourself, and your capabilities. He wants this match to be easy, he wants to inflict as much damage on you in a short time, so that he doesn't break a sweat retaining that title. But it's _yours_ damnit."

"God, I wish that you were here. I need you." Just then, he heard a knock on his door, signaling that it was time for him to go.

"No, you don't. You just need me to believe in you, and I do. Now go bring that title home, baby!"

 **=0oo0=**

Pain shot through his body as he opened his eyes, only to have them shut again when the bright light proved to be too much for him. He felt needles being put into his arms, his body wouldn't move, no matter how much he willed it to. People were around him, but they were all fuzzy, and he couldn't make out any voices. His memory was sketchy, how did he end up here?

Before he could get any words out, his eyes shut once more, and everything faded to black.

 **TWO HOURS LATER**

When he opened his eyes this time, everything was perfectly clear. He was in a hospital room somewhere, hooked up to a machine, the TV playing softly in the background. Just as he was about to buzz for a nurse, he saw a brunette in yellow scrubs come into his room.

"Katelyn…"

"Ted! I'm so happy that you're awake!"

Within moments, she was by his side, holding onto his hand, "What happened?"

"Randy… he…" she stifled some tears back, "He really handed it to you out there, you have 10 stitches in the back of your head, your body is so bruises, and you can see where the thumb tacks went into your back."

He fell silent for a while, he remembered the match early on. Once things started getting really gruesome, his mind blacked the rest of the match out. That was probably in his best interest anyway. "So, I guess that means that lost?"

She gave him a small smile before kneeling down, he could hear her opening and closing a bag, "I never said that you didn't fight like hell back… I believe that this belongs to you now." She stated before he felt something be laid across his waist.

He'd finally done it.

 **6 MONTHS LATER**

This was it.

In a few moments, he'd walk down the aisle and await the love of his life. He was nervous, but, he knew that came with the territory. He hadn't seen Katelyn at all for the past couple of days, some myth she believed in. So to say that he was anxious, was a huge understatement. He couldn't wait to finally see her.

He was adjusting his tie when the organ started playing, when he laid eyes on her, he had to stop himself from running at her. She wore a dress that bared her shoulders, but had long sleeves made out of lace. The corset was embellished with rhinestones and pearls, then toile made up the bottom half. When her dad handed her over to him, he had to hold back the tears.

She was beautiful.

While the preacher spoke, he was busy getting lost in her chocolate brown eyes. She tried her best to focus on the mass, but he could tell that she didn't want to break their stare. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he reluctantly looked to his right.

"It's time to exchange the rings my son." Nodding he reached for his brother, who had Katelyn's ring. It was absolutely beautiful, her maid-of-honor helped him pick it out, the center diamond was shaped like a heart, and Monarch butterflies were on either side of it, holding the diamond in place. The band was a beautiful Rose Gold color. "You've written your own vows, you're free to say them when you wish."

He cleared his throat, "Katelyn Smith, I just… I don't even know where to start. If someone had told me that I'd find the love of my life at some random tailgating problem that I decided to throw, I would have told them that they were insane. But then you strutted up and asked me out, I'm not sure what made me say yes, but I'm sure glad that I did." He took a deep breath, and wiped away a few of her tears, "You believe in me more than I've ever believed in myself; and I can't thank you enough for that. I love you so, so much; and I can't wait to continue living life with you."

Once the rings were on each other's fingers, they smiled at each other as the preacher finished up his sermon. After he blessed them, he then said the words that he'd been waiting to hear, "You may now kiss the bride."

It didn't take long for him to have his arms fully wrapped around her waist, and have her body pressed against his. They kissed passionately for who knows how long, but when they broke, he simply smiled and brushed a stray piece of hair from her face. No amount of title shots, or championship runs would live up to how he felt in this very moment. No, his wife wasn't perfect, but she was perfect for him.

And that's all that really mattered.

* * *

 **a/n:** Well, there you have it! I hope that you enjoyed reading this, I really liked writing it! Remember to check my profile to see if I have my requests open or closed. Also, the visual for the ring Ted gave Katelyn, will be posted on my Twitter! Link is in my bio.

Thank you!


	4. Interstate

**a/n:** I'm showing a little love to the Dean/Nikki shippers, as per the request of 'lovelyambroses'. This is my first time writing them, so I hope that y'all enjoy!

 **{disclaimer: as per usual, I do not own any of the characters in the story; only the idea}**

* * *

 _interstate_

* * *

"Are you freaking kidding me, Brianna?!"

She sighed as she threw her ring gear into her suitcase. Her sister, who was supposed to be her ride to the next town, had taken off with her husband. Since she and John had taken yet another break, she had decided to carpool with them. To make matters worse – as if that were possible – everyone else that she'd usually ride with, had already left the arena for the night.

Adjusting her duffel bag on her shoulders, she then pulled the handle out of her suitcase and walked out into the parking lot. The place was bare, only a few maintenance workers, and the companies 18-wheelers remained. She was going to kill Brianna whenever she saw her again, she really had some nerve doing this. Sighing, she knew that she really only had one option; no matter how foolish she looked doing it.

The highway was – thankfully – very calm at this point. All the fans had left, so that spared her some embarrassment at least. Hearing the honking of a horn, she stopped in her tracks and turned her head. A black SUV had pulled up next to her, a few moments later the tinted windows rolled down.

"Need a lift?"

Adjusting her eyes, she saw who was behind the wheel, "Um… no, I'm fine."

"I, uh…" the man put his vehicle in park and exited, "I assume that you're going to the next town? That's _300 miles away_ , Nicole."

"It'll be good cardio, now if you'll excuse me."

He sidestepped her and let her pass, "Whatever, I'll just let Vince and Steph know that we won't be seeing the Divas Champ for a while, then."

Hearing his car door slam, she watched as he took off down the road. Why did she have to be so stubborn? Just then, she heard a crackle of thunder and rain drops began hitting her face. Could things really get worse?

Seeing the taillights in front of her light up, she watched as it was put in reverse and pull right next to her once again.

"Don't be ridiculous, get in." when she didn't move, he exited the vehicle again and walked over to her, "Damnit, Nicole, just get in!"

"Ask me."

"What?"

"Ask me to get in."

He threw his head back and got his sopping wet hair out of his eyes, "I don't need this… I'm just trying to be a good person."

"Good people ask, not demand."

"You know what? No." he sighed and started walking back to the driver's side, "No wonder John left your psychotic ass."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me… now this is your _last_ damn chance. Are you getting in or not?"

Rolling her eyes, she reached down to pick up her bags, "Fine."

 **=0oo0=**

For a majority of the ride, the two sat in silence, with only the radio to fill it. Dean busied himself with the driving, while she focused on fixing herself up a bit. Thank goodness for waterproof makeup. Once she was done, she flipped the visor up and relaxed in her seat. Using the darkness to her advantage, she glanced over at him; his jaw was clinched, as it usually was for some reason. Every now and then, his fingers would drum along the steering wheel.

She had heard through the grapevine that he and Renee had decided to call it quits a couple weeks ago. The couple were really private, so no one really knew why. Thankfully – for them – no one sat around creating reasons either; much like they did in her and John's case. People could be so rude.

"I didn't mean what I said about the whole John thing."

"It's fine, it's probably true anyway."

"Well," he said as he tried to merge onto the Interstate, "John can be an idiot sometimes, sure you and I aren't BFFs by any means, but you seem… eh, I don't know."

"Is Dean Ambrose trying to be sweet?" she joked.

"Trying and failing." Against the dim lighting, she could see a small smile start to form on his face.

"Well, thanks, for whatever it was you were trying to say."

"No problem."

"I know that this is kind of personal," she sighed, "but what happened between you and Renee?"

"Nothing too exciting, we just grew apart."

"Really? Hm…"

"What do you mean, hm? Is every breakup supposed to be dramatic?"

"Oh, of course not! It's just that all of mine were."

"So, I take it that this latest one was as well?"

She sighed, it was. She had never gotten in that big of an argument before, her temper had really flared. So did John's, for that matter. It was an ongoing battle for the two of them, she wanted more, while he was content with what they had. That wasn't good enough for her anymore, so she made the decision to leave him.

"Sort of. The usual, you know."

He actually did know, he and Renee were witnesses to numerous fights. She had even stayed with them on the few occasions that her sister wasn't on the road with her. Sometimes the two would stay up talking, he could really be a sweetheart when he wanted to be.

"He's an asshole, Nicole, you deserve to be with someone who would be more than happy to give you what you want, and more."

"Thanks, Dean, who knows? Maybe someday I will."

"You will, trust me." He reached over and patted her thigh, "now get some rest, we've got a long ride ahead of us."

 **=0oo0=**

She wasn't sure how long she had slept for, but when she felt a nudge on her shoulder; she opened her eyes and saw that they were in a hotels parking lot. After rubbing her eyes, she looked over and saw Dean collecting his things from the front console.

"Are you bunking with Brie?"

"Nope, Brian is in town, so fingers crossed that there's an open room." Exiting the vehicle, she followed him to the trunk to get her things.

"You could always bunk with me… if that's not weird. I can take the couch."

"Thanks, but you shouldn't have to sleep on the couch of your own room."

He shrugged as he grabbed her things, "I don't mind, but it's up to you."

Following behind him, she couldn't help but smile. Sure these two weren't exactly best friends, but he was being so good to her. Better than most people she had known her whole life. She was truly grateful.

"Okay, but you aren't sleeping on the couch."

"Why are you so stubborn?"

She shrugged, "It's a personality trait, I'm sure that the bed is big enough for the both of us."

"Nicole…"

"It's happening, okay? You've been too good to me, I can't allow you to sleep on some uncomfortable couch, got it?"

Once they got their room key, they took the elevator up to their floor and walked to their door. Taking the key out of its sleeve, she unlocked their door, very much aware of the few co-workers that had just spotted the two. Not that it mattered anyway, they were all very opinionated about her love life; she was sure that they'd think of something to pass around the locker room. No matter how innocent her current act was.

"I can't sleep with a shirt on, is that okay?"

"Oh my gosh, yes, it's fine!" she smiled, "I'm going to change, I'll be back."

Whenever she came back into the room, her roomie for the night was already laying down, scrolling through his phone. Going over to the opposite side, she slid under the covers and tried to get comfortable. She had to admit that Dean looked pretty good shirtless, she was built but not overly built. If that makes any sense.

"Your phone has been going off like crazy over there."

Glancing at it, she saw numerous texts from her family, as well as a certain ex of hers. Knowing what they were probably about, she silenced the device and placed it inside of her purse. She would deal with all that drama tomorrow.

"Goodnight, Dean."

"Goodnight."

She smiled and she reached over to turn the bedside lamp off. Their bodies touched a bit once they both got comfortable, he was so warm. _Snap out of it, Nicole_. Leaning over, she placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you Dean, for everything."

She smiled when he sleepily replied that it was no problem. Placing her head on his chest, she let the steady beat of his heart lull her into a deep sleep.

* * *

 **a/n:** There we have it! I actually enjoyed this a lot, I may write them again sometime soon. I hope that y'all enjoyed this, especially you 'lovelyambroses'! =)


	5. All I Need

**a/n:** Hey guys! It has been a while since I've been on here, so much has happened! I moved across my lovely state, and now reside in West Texas for a new job; so far I am loving it! I've been writing here and there, and I've finally gotten something done! This one is for my bestie, Danie (CelticPrincessx3), go read some of her stuff if you haven't yet! This is one of the two requests she had made for her birthday, and I do hope that she enjoys it!

 _Italics are flashbacks!_

 _ **Disclaimer: as per usual, I own nothing but the idea. Song credits go to Blake Shelton and Ashley Monroe.**_

* * *

 _all I need_

* * *

"Yes… just uh – email all those forms to me. I'll figure out the mess on Monday. Good night."

Placing the handset on his receiver, he leaned back in his chair and breathed an exhaustive sigh. His line of work was somewhat stressful; this week had been especially tiresome. He'd taken over his father's Senate seat a little over four years ago, and boy did it keep him busy. He thrived on it, for the most part.

But lately, it had just been running him ragged.

Hearing his email tone go off on his desktop, he rolled his eyes, grabbed his whiskey glass and got out of his seat. Work was just going to have to wait until Monday morning. Closing the heavy oak door behind him, he leaned against it for a while.

* * *

" _You work entirely too hard!" she complained, in between kisses on his neck, "I knew taking over for your dad would do this to you."_

" _I'm the oldest, this was inevitable." He sighed as he so desperately tried to stay concentrated on some forms, which was getting harder and harder to do with her straddling him, "Baby, c'mon, you know that I need to finish this work before the new session next week."_

" _Paperwork smaperwork," she rolled her green eyes, "you said that we'd have fun this weekend! Besides you have all day tomorrow to be a slave to the man."_

" _Slave?" he laughed, "I know was I said, but –"_

" _You promised!"_

" _Ugh," he rubbed his eyes, "I know what I said, but that was before this new piece of legislation hit my desk… it's extremely important sweetheart."_

" _I know that it is…" she pouted, "but it's just going to be dinner and a few drinks. Please?"_

" _Bu-"_

" _Please?!"_

" _Okay, okay! But just for a little while, alright?"_

" _Promise." she smirked._

* * *

She was radiant.

The room lit up when she entered it… hell, he lit up whenever he saw her. For 6 years, she was his entire life; he lived and breathed for her. Everything was perfect for the two of them. Then he had to go and leave his law firm and take over for his dad.

Of course, he'd only done it to get the old man off of his back. Plus, his term was coming to an end a few months later, and he really didn't think that anyone would vote to keep him in there. Unfortunately for him, they did and here he was almost two years later, gearing up for his second re-election campaign. All of this, essentially led to their doom. He eventually grew to love what he did, and began to spend more time working and spending less time with her.

And well… the rest is history.

Now, whenever he wasn't drowning in work, he walked around his big immaculate house and wallowed in self-pity. They purchased this house two years ago, after his first re-election; this was going to be the place where they lived the rest of their lives together. Now it was just a constant reminder of what should've been. Walking into the kitchen, he eyed his cell on the counter.

It could just be the alcohol talking… but he just wanted to hear her voice.

 **I never thought you'd pick up the phone  
It's Friday night, you should be out on the town  
didn't think you'd be  
Sitting at home all alone like me**

Just his luck, she didn't answer.

In all honesty, he wasn't surprised. She always had something glamorous going on most nights. Part of him missed having her clinging onto his arm at these events, eyes were always on her; but hers were always on him. Damn he missed her.

 _ **Ring…Ring**_

Without bothering to look at the caller ID, he swiped right on his phone, "Look Hayes, I told you that I'd look at the papers on Monday. I'm done for the weekend."

"Not working on weekends? That's new!"

"Oh! Hey… yeah, it's just this weekend; at this point it's all a blur."

"I've always told you that you work too hard." She sighed, "But I know that it's your re-election year…"

"Yeah… well I decided to take a little break for the weekend. Regroup a little."

"Well that's good. Anyway, I'm calling because I noticed a missed call from you?"

"Oh… um, that was an accident. I hung up as soon as I realized it, sorry."

"You've always been a horrible liar, what's up?"

 **Nothing on TV, nothing to do  
Nothing to keep my mind off you and me  
And the way it was  
Are you thinking 'bout it now because…**

"I – um…"

"Is everything alright?"

"Everything's alright… you know how it gets around this time."

"That's it, I'm coming over. Order us a pizza, I have the wine."

"You don't have to do that, I really am okay."

"I know, but I am. Be there in a few."

… **I could be there in five?  
One more, one last time**

 **That taste, that touch, the fire I miss  
Those "kiss-me" eyes, your red wine lips on mine  
Like it used to be  
Baby, I want you, and you want me**

He'd be a fool to say that he wasn't excited for her to be coming over. Granted, she was only coming because she probably thinks that he's having some sort of mental breakdown. But he'd have to take what he could get at this point. He was finally going to get to see the only girl who had ever truly owned his heart.

He just hoped that he didn't screw things up like he did the last time they saw each other.

* * *

" _I told you that I couldn't do it tonight!" his blood was boiling, "Any other night, yes, tonight, no. The guys are coming over to finalize some new pieces of legislation."_

" _Oh okay… let me just call my little sister and tell her to cancel her engagement party." She threw her purse on their bed, "you said that you would move that around!"_

" _Oh, I didn't tell you? I couldn't get a hold of every single citizen to let them know that I couldn't review their healthcare bill, because my girlfriends little sister got engaged."_

" _You're a jerk." She wiped a tear from her eye, "Don't bother waiting up."_

* * *

That was nearly 7 months ago, he hadn't seen or heard from her since.

He still read her articles in the paper and her weekly blogs online. She was doing great for herself, he was extremely proud of her for finding her place in Louisiana. His smallish city was hard for a Chicago girl like her to get used to. But once she got her job and started making friends; everyone fell in love with her.

Hearing his doorbell ring, he grabbed his glassed and headed for the front door. Taking a deep breath, he reached for the handle and opened it. She was still as beautiful as ever. No makeup, her red hair tied up in a messy bun, sweat pants and a long sleeved shirt. God, she still looked like she could be on the cover of a magazine.

"Hello?"

"Hm?"

"Are you going to let me in? Or am I just going to stand here holding boxed wine all night?"

"Oh… of course, sorry, I was just – um, come in." closing the door behind them, he followed her down the hallway, "the pizza is in the kitchen. Pepperoni with extra cheese."

"Ah, you remember," she smirked, "so what's up? You didn't sound great on the phone."

"I – um, well like you said; you know how re-election year is. Campaign manager is driving me insane, I've got one hundred things to do; on top of the things that I still have to do in the Senate."

After she served them with pizza and a glass of wine, she sat next to him, "Well, I'm 100% positive that you'll do fine. These people love you, I mean this is your second re-election."

"Well, things are a little different this go around."

"How so?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "Well, to be honest… I had _you_."

Placing her glass down, she slowly looked over at him, "how exactly did I make the difference?"

"You were just you. The people gravitated to you and I just happened to be the guy you were with. The women loved your outfits, I think the guys just liked looking at you."

She smiled, "you're too much sometimes. _You_ did all the work, I just got to cling to your arm."

"Always so modest." He laughed, "I read an article that literally compared us to Jack and Jackie… I have the clipping somewhere."

"That's insane." She giggled, "Louisiana's own Kennedy family… I can see how they would come to that conclusion. Hopefully you don't meet the same fate as Jack though."

"Well, I sure hope so."

 **I can be there in five  
one more, one last time**

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure thing."

By then they had moved to the living room. Old movies were playing on the flat screen. They had lost count of the glasses of wine they had had. It's safe to say that they were enjoying each other's company.

"Why haven't you gone out on any dates lately? You are Louisiana's most eligible bachelor after all."

He shrugged, "Mostly because Louisiana doesn't know that I'm a bachelor."

 **We don't have to be lonely tonight  
(Need you, want you, I'm right here)  
We don't have to be lonely tonight  
(I know we shouldn't but I don't care)  
I don't wanna be right, don't wanna be strong  
I just wanna hold you til the heartbreaks gone  
When the sun comes up, we can both move on  
But we don't have to be lonely tonight**

"It's basically been 7 months and no one has figured it out?"

"I mean it helped that there weren't any major dinners and stuff. Plus, I never really went to a lot of your functions… so it wasn't really a big deal if you showed up alone. Oh, and I'm also really good at changing the subject."

She nodded, "Do you want to know the other reason people probably don't know you're a bachelor?"

"Because you never said anything either."

"Because I never – well, yeah."

"Why is that? You deserve to have someone to take you out dancing all the time."

"I don't want to be out dancing all the time with someone who…"

After a few moments of silence, he spoke, "Someone who what?"

"Well, someone who isn't you."

He turned his body to fully face her, "you really mean that? Even after the whole engagement party debacle?"

"Yes! Even though it was a total drag without you."

"How come you didn't come back then?"

She shrugged, "My mom convinced me that I was better off without you. Since I was basically alone all the time anyway."

Nodding, he took a drink of his wine, "I can see where she's coming from. She had a very valid point."

"I shouldn't have let her dictate my life like that though. You're my entire world. I miss you so much… these last 7 months have been absolute hell without you."

"I know the feeling." He reached for her hand, "I should've said this months ago… come back home. I can't promise that things will be 100% better. But I can promise that I'm going to try my best to be the man that you truly deserve to be with."

 **We don't have to be lonely tonight  
(Oh, I need you and I'm right here)  
We don't have to be lonely tonight… tonight… tonight  
Yeah… yeah**

"Maria?"

She leaned over to put her glass next to his on a nearby table. A few seconds later her green eyes met his blue ones. One of the things that drove him insane was that he could never put a finger on what she was thinking. Something she – of course – was very proud of.

"You know… it was silly of me to even suggest. You're obviously doing well for yourself, I would just throw you off track. Just because you miss me, doesn't mean you want me back, right?"

He began to get up, when he felt her soft hand on his bicep, "You've never been a patient one." She smiled, "I was trying to think of what to say… and what I've come up with, is that that is the single best thing I've heard in 7 months."

"R-really?"

"Yes." She said, now standing next to him, "You're all I'll ever want, Ted DiBiase Jr., you're all that I'll ever _need_."

"Oh, Maria. You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that. I love you so much. Always have, always will."

"I love you too. Now kiss me."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

With that their lips met, her legs wrapped around his waist and they soon found themselves in his – _their_ bedroom, making up for lost time. His world was finally complete again, and he'd be damned if he allowed anything to break it again.

* * *

 **a/n:** there we have it! That came out longer than expected. But I do hope that it was worth the read.

Happy belated birthday, Danie! I feel horrible for taking so long…. I will have your other story up soon!


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